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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.18
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 18
- pureṣu puṇyopavanādri-kuñjeṣv
- apaṅka-toyeṣu sarit-saraḥsu
- ananta-liṅgaiḥ samalaṅkṛteṣu
- cacāra tīrthāyataneṣv ananyaḥ
pureṣuholy places like Ayodhyā, Dvārakā and Mathurā — holy places like Ayodhyā, Dvārakā and Mathurā; puṇyapiety — piety; upathe parks-vanathe parks — the parks; adrihill — hill; kuñjeṣuin the orchards — in the orchards; apaṅkawithout sin — without sin; toyeṣuin the water — in the water; saritriver — river; saraḥsulakes — lakes; anantathe forms of the Unlimited-liṅgaiḥthe forms of the Unlimited — the forms of the Unlimited; samalaṅkṛteṣubeing so decorated — being so decorated; cacāraexecuted — executed; tīrthaplaces of pilgrimage — places of pilgrimage; āyataneṣuholy lands — holy lands; ananyaḥalone or seeing Kṛṣṇa alone — alone or seeing Kṛṣṇa alone.
He began to travel alone, thinking only of Kṛṣṇa, through various holy places like Ayodhyā, Dvārakā and Mathurā. He traveled where the air, hill, orchard, river and lake are all pure and sinless and where the forms of the Unlimited decorate the temples. Thus he performed the pilgrim's progress.
These arcā forms of the Lord may be considered idols by the atheists, but that does not matter for persons like Vidura or His many other servants. The forms of the Lord are mentioned here as ananta-liṅga. Such forms of the Lord have unlimited potency, the same as that of the Lord Himself. There is no difference between the potencies of the arcā and those of the personal forms of the Lord. The example of the postbox and post office may be applied here. The little postboxes distributed all over the city have the same potency as the postal system in general. The duty of the post office is to carry letters from one place to another. If one puts letters in postboxes authorized by the general post office, the function of carrying letters is performed without a doubt. Similarly, the arcā-mūrti can also deliver the same unlimited potency of the Lord as when He is personally present. Vidura, therefore, could see nothing but Kṛṣṇa in the different arcā forms, and ultimately he was able to realize Kṛṣṇa alone and nothing else.